ES2370858B1 - CONTAINER TO STAY AND TRANSPORT CONTAINERS CONTAINING RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL FOR MEDICAL APPLICATIONS. - Google Patents

Abstract

Container for housing and transporting containers containing radioactive material for medical applications. # Consists of a hollow hexagonal structure (8, 9) equipped with an outer lid (2) and a removable inner lid (3), all with insulating shield to radiation The inner lid (3) is adapted to hold at least one container (6) inside the container (1) as it includes holes (5) intended to receive the containers (6) at a first end. The container (1) also includes an inner support (4) for holding the containers (6) by a second opposite end thereof.

Description

Container to house and transport containers containing radioactive material for medical applications.

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a container for housing containers. More specifically, the invention relates to a container designed to accommodate and transport containers containing radioactive material for medical applications. Said containers are syringes, vials or the like.

The container of the invention basically comprises a hollow structure with radiation insulating shield. The structure comprises a base, walls and an outer closure lid.

Background of the invention

The storage and transport of tubes, syringes and the like containing radioactive substances for various applications, such as the diagnosis or treatment of pathologies, is typically performed using special containers adapted for this purpose. These containers, which can normally transport more than one dose of radioactive substance at the same time, are conveniently adapted, according to certain safety regulations, to transport said radioactive substances from the production center to the place where the product is to be used.

The containers for storing and transporting radioactive material have a structure equipped with some type of radiation shielding of the radioactive substances contained. This shield should be appropriate to protect people who will be in contact with the container from possible radiological and biological hazards.

An example of a container for radioactive substances is described in US6323501. This document shows a container for storing and transporting containers containing radioactive substances for medical purposes that is made of a radiation insulating material. Said container has a hollow structure formed by a base, side walls and an outer closure lid. The container has an inner support body that largely surrounds the stored containers.

Another example of a container of the type described is shown in US2002074525, which proposes a container for storing and transporting containers containing radioactive material. This container comprises a body of radiation insulating material closed by an upper lid. The body of the container houses inside a support element provided with cavities where the containers are inserted. The inner support body covers a large part of the containers stored inside the container.

These known containers are formed by a structure in which the radiation shielding emitted by the radioactive substances contained is present only on the outer walls of said structure. This has the disadvantage that the operator who is handling the container is exposed to radiation at the moment in which the container is opened for the identification and extraction of the doses.

On the other hand, the con fi guration of the prior art containers, which incorporate means for holding the containers consisting of bodies that surround or cover a large part of the containers, is complex and expensive.

Description of the invention

The invention proposes a container for housing and transporting containers containing radioactive material for medical applications, such as syringes or vials, which overcome the problems and disadvantages of the containers used for the same purpose so far.

The container of the invention, as indicated above, consists of a hollow structure with radiation insulating shield. The structure comprises a lower base, side walls, and an outer closure lid.

According to the invention, the container also incorporates an inner closure lid, which can be removable and interchangeable in some embodiments according to needs. This inner closure lid also has a suitable insulating shield to reduce radiation when the outer closure lid of the container is opened.

The fact that the container has an armored inner closure lid as described allows the container not to be fully open. In other words, the container is only completely closed (transport, storage, etc.) or partially open (access to the containers). Thanks to this, the radiation dose outside can be significantly reduced. In particular, it has been found that the arrangement of the armored inner closure lid allows the radiation to be reduced to a value that can be close to half the value corresponding to conventional containers at the time of opening, when selecting a concrete container

Said inner closure lid of the container of the invention is conveniently adapted to hold at least one container (generally, a plurality of tubes, syringes, vials, etc.) inside the container. This ensures safe and efficient storage and transport of containers.

More specifically, the inner closure lid of the container of the invention is adapted to hold the containers by a first end thereof. The containers may optionally also be held by a second opposite end thereof, through an inner support.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the holding of the containers is carried out by means of holes formed in the inner closing lid, and optionally in the inner support, intended to receive the containers. The inner support may include holes or cavities to receive one end of each container.

As the containers are subject to the structure of the container, both during transport and storage and subsequent use, the risk of damage thereof is reduced as a result of shocks or shocks to the container. In addition, since the holding of the containers stored inside the container is carried out through the inner closing lid and, if necessary, the inner support, the overall weight of the container is reduced and its general con fi guration is simplified with respect to other conventional containers with other more complex and expensive clamping systems.

On the other hand, a series of standard combinations of inner closing lids with different number and diameter of holes can be arranged to adapt the same container to different needs.

The possibility of using several interchangeable inner closure caps is very advantageous. In case of having to transport a reduced number of containers, for example, an inner closing lid can be applied that has a smaller number of holes, further reducing the potential rate of radiation to the outside.

Thanks to the above, an orderly arrangement of the stored containers or doses is achieved, being very easy to locate and identify by the healthcare personnel once the container is opened (less exposure time).

According to the invention, the preferred shielding for the structure of the container (as well as the inner closing lid thereof) comprises an inner layer and an outer layer, both of stainless steel, and respective intermediate layers: one of polyethylene (effective for beta (β) and other lead radiation (effective for gamma (γ) type radiation).

Preferably, the container structure of the invention has a hexagonal plan geometry. This configuration allows to maximize the relationship between the number of containers stored in the container and the surface thereof. Thanks to this geometry the efficiency of the container is improved. Furthermore, as with respect to a conventional cylindrical container, in the hexagonal geometry of the container of the invention, circumference arcs are replaced by their corresponding ropes, a reduction of the lateral surface of the container and, consequently, of weight is achieved.

The container structure may also include a series of projections formed on the inner surface thereof for proper positioning of the inner closure lid.

Optionally, the container can include a block, made for example of lightweight material, adapted to be arranged between the inner closing lid and the outer closing lid of the container, for holding the containers.

A gel-like substance can also be introduced to homogeneously refrigerate the containers housed inside the container.

With a container with the configuration and structure described in accordance with the invention, a means of transport and storage of universal containers is obtained, being valid for a wide range of radioactive substances, both in type of substance and in amount of radioactive activity.

The container described also has a simple, resistant and secure configuration since the walls of the container structure, the base, the outer closing lid and the closing lid effectively reduce the radioactive activity of the substances in the containers housed in The inside of the container.

In addition to the advantages cited above, with the configuration of the container 1 described in accordance with the invention it is relatively easy to practice the cleaning necessary to decontaminate its interior, both radiologically and biologically.

Other objectives, advantages and characteristics of the container of the invention will be clear from the description of the invention of a preferred embodiment thereof. This description is given by way of non-limiting example and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

In these drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevational view, sectioned by plane AA 'of Figure 2, of a container for housing and transporting containers containing radioactive material for medical applications, such as syringes or vials according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of an example of the container of Figure 1 without the outer closure lid to be able to appreciate the interior thereof; Y

Figures 3 and 4 are flat views of the inner closure lid and the inner support of the container of Figure 1.

Detailed statement of a preferred embodiment

An example of a container for transporting radioactive material for medical use is shown in Figure 1. The container has been designated together by reference 1.

The container 1 of the illustrated example is intended to accommodate and transport containers 6 containing radioactive material for medical applications. According to the application to which the container 1 is intended, the containers 6 can be tubes, syringes, vials, or any container intended to store radioactive substances inside. In one example, syringes with radioactive liquid can be stored in the container which are placed in cylindrical plastic tubes provided with a pressure closure cap. These tubes may have a diameter of, for example, 40 mm, 30 mm and 25 mm, as described below with reference to the attached Table 1, as required. The containers 6 can incorporate identification labels of each dose unit to facilitate its rapid location.

The container 1 illustrated by way of example is formed by a hollow structure defined by a hexagonal bottom base 8 from which lateral walls 9 and an outer closure cover 2, also hexagonal, emerge which can be articulated to the structure of container 1. All this defines a container 1 of general prismatic configuration of hexagonal plan.

This structure, that is, the lower base 8, the side walls 9 and the outer closure cover 2, has an appropriate insulating shield against the potential radiation emitted by the radioactive material contained in the containers 6 stored in the container 1. This shield It is formed by an inner layer of stainless steel, respective intermediate layers of polyethylene and lead and an outer layer of stainless steel. The layer structure of the shield in combination with the materials used allows the container 1 to be used for a wide range of radioactive substances.

It is important to note, in accordance with the invention, that the container 1 also incorporates an inner closure lid 3 (see Figure 3), also in a hexagonal shape, sized to fit, in the closed position, inside the structure of the container 1, supported by a series of projections 10 formed in the upper area of the inner surface thereof, as shown in Figure 2.

This inner closure lid 3 has the same type of radiation-insulating shielding described for the rest of the container 1. The configuration of the shield, also for said inner lid 3 of the container 1, allows to reduce the radiation to the outside when opening the lid External closure 2.

The inner closure lid 3, in turn, is adapted to hold the containers 6 by one of its ends. In the case illustrated by way of example in Figure 1, the containers 6 are additionally held by a second opposite end through an inner support 4 disposed at the bottom of the container 1, near the base 8 thereof.

The inner support 4 for holding the containers 6 by its lower end can be, for example, a metal grid resting on the bottom of the container 1, a matrix of light material, such as rubber or polystyrene, provided with a series of holes in correspondence with those of the inner closing lid 2, etc. As can be seen in the example of the support 4 shown in Figure 4, it has peripheral recesses 11 formed in correspondence with the projections 10 of the container 1 to allow the support 4 to fit inside it.

In the illustrated example, the holding of the containers 6 is carried out by means of holes 5 formed in the inner closing lid 3, and holes or cavities 7 (cavities, in the illustrated embodiment) formed in the inner support 4, intended to receive the containers 6 at their opposite ends, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. Logically, the configuration of the holes 5 and the recesses 7 of the inner closing lid 3 and the inner support 4 (Figures 3 and 4) respectively, can vary as appropriate to properly hold the containers 6 so that they are properly immobilized in the inside the container 1 during transport, handling, storage and subsequent use.

The holes 5 and cavities 7 are suitably sized so that through them it is possible to introduce the containers 6 (for example, plastic tubes containing syringes with radioactive material) being as shown in Figure 1, so as to prevent Effectively any movement of these as a result of shocks, falls, blows, or any sudden impact resulting from both transport and handling of container 1.

The number and distribution of the holes 5 and the cavities 7 can vary, even in the same inner closure cap 3, depending on the quantity and size of the doses to be transported. In general, the holes 5 of larger diameter are preferably arranged in the central part of the inner closing lid 3 while the holes 5 of smaller diameter are preferably arranged in the peripheral zone thereof (the same would be applicable for the inner support 4). The different series of holes 5 are formed on successive circumferences, minimizing the distance between the successive holes 5, as shown in Figure 2, concentric on the inner closure lid 3 and the support 4. This allows optimizing the volume utilization container transport 6.

Through the holes 5 and cavities 7 of the inner closure lid 3 and the inner support 4, respectively, an orderly arrangement of the containers 6 is achieved, which helps the healthcare staff to quickly locate and identify the dose being searching, advantageously reducing the radiation exposure time.

Table 1 shows an example of the number of containers that can be transported in a container such as the invention according to different combinations of containers according to their diameter.

TABLE 1

In the case of transporting tubes for standard syringes, for medical syringes, the most compact grouping possible for the tubes results in groups of six units for each circumference (series of holes 5) of the inner closure cap 3. This leads to that the proposed hexagonal design optimizes the relationship between the maximum amount of dose to be transported and the surface of the walls 9 of the container 1, or, which is the same as the total weight of the container.

In the case of some high activity isotopes in which only a maximum of two doses can be transported in the container 1 for radiological reasons (for example, Ga-67), the inner closure cap 3 could only include two holes 5 and could incorporate a hexagonal shaped plastic template set so that it only leaves the two holes 5 of the inner closure lid 3 free. This simple anti-terror system would prevent health personnel from placing in the container 1 more than the permissible doses from a radiological point of view .

The inner closure lid 3 is removable and interchangeable with other inner closure caps 3, as required. Thus, a series of standard combinations of inner closure caps 3 (and inner support 4, as necessary) with different number and diameter of holes 5 (and cavities 7) can be arranged to adapt the same container 1 to different needs (see, again, Table 1 attached).

In order to reinforce the holding of the containers 6 housed in the container 1 and avoid any type of axial displacement thereof, a template of light foam material can be placed on them, held by the outer closing lid 2 of the container 1, once it is closed. .

Although the present invention has been described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, the container object of the invention is susceptible to various changes without departing from the scope of protection defined in the following claims. .

Claims (11)

one.

Container (1) for housing and transporting containers (6) containing radioactive material for medical applications, such as syringes or vials, said container (1) comprising a hollow structure (8, 9) with radiation-insulating shielding provided with a lid external closure (2), characterized in that it further comprises an internal closure lid (3), also with radiation-insulating shield, which is adapted to hold at least one of said containers (6) in the inside of the container (1) and reduce the radiation to the outside by opening the outer closure lid (2) of the container (1).

2.

Container (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said inner closing lid (3) is adapted to hold the containers (6) by a first end thereof.

3.

Container (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises an inner support (4) intended to hold the containers (6) by a second opposite end thereof.

Four.

Container (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner closing lid (3) incorporates a series of holes (5) intended to receive the containers (6).

5.

Container (1) according to any of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the inner support (4) incorporates a series of holes or cavities (7) intended to receive the containers (6).

6.

Container (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner closure lid (3) is removable.

7.

Container (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said shield comprises an inner layer of stainless steel, respective intermediate layers of polyethylene and lead and an outer layer of stainless steel.

8.

Container (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said hollow structure (8, 9) has a hexagonal plan geometry.

9.

Container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes a series of projections (10) formed on the inner surface of the hollow structure (8, 9) for positioning the inner closing lid (3 ).

10.

Container (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes a block of light material between the inner closing lid (3) and the outer closing lid (2) of the container (1) for holding the containers (6).

SPANISH OFFICE OF PATENTS AND BRANDS SPAIN REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE 51 Int. Cl.: G21F51015 (2006.01) 865D83102 (2006.01) twenty-one Application No.: 2011 00174 22 Date of submission of the application: 02.17.2011 32 Date of priority:  TECHNICAL STATUS REPORT

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS

 Category

 Documents cited  Claims Affected

Y

US 2002074525 A1 (WHITE et al.) 06.20.2002, 1-10

whole document.

Y

US 7170072 B2 (SCHWARZ et al.) 30.01.2007, 1-10

column 2, line 47 - column 3, line 20; Figures 1-4.

TO

US 6323501 B1 (WHITE et al.) 27.11.2001, 1-9

column 3, lines 1-25; column 4, lines 4-25; figures 1-2.

TO

US 2002195575 A1 (MARTIN) 26.12.2002, one

page 2, paragraphs [24-28]; Figures 1,4,5.

TO

EP 1394813 A2 (KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SHO, TASEI CORPORATION) 03.03.2004, one

page 7, paragraph [61] - page 8, paragraph [67]; Figures 8A-11

  Category of the documents cited X: of particular relevance Y: of particular relevance combined with other / s of the same category A: reflects the state of the art O: refers to unwritten disclosure P: published between the priority date and the date of priority submission of the application E: previous document, but published after the date of submission of the application

  This report has been produced � for all claims � for claims No:

 Date of realization of the report 22.11.2011

 Examiner R. San Vicente Domingo  Page 1/4

Application NO: 201100174 Minimum documentation searched (classification system followed by classification symbols) G21F, B65D Electronic databases consulted during the search (database name and, if possible, terms of used search) INVENES, EPODOC State of the Art Report Page 2/4  WRITTEN OPINION Application NO: 201100174 Date of Written Opinion: 22.11.2011 Statement

Novelty (Art. 6.1 LP 11/1986)

Claims 1-10 YES

Claims

NO

Inventive activity (Art. 8.1 LP11 / 1986)

Claims YES

Claims 1-10

NO

The application is considered to comply with the industrial application requirement. This requirement was evaluated during the formal and technical examination phase of the application (Article 31.2 Law 11/1986).  Basis of Opinion.- This opinion has been made on the basis of the patent application as published. State of the Art Report Page 3/4  WRITTEN OPINION Application NO: 201100174 1. Documents considered.- Below are the documents pertaining to the state of the art taken into consideration for the realization of this opinion.

Document

Publication or Identification Number Publication Date

D01

US 2002074525 A1 (WHITE et al.) 06.20.2002

D02

US 7170072 B2 (SCHWARZ et al.) 01/30/2007

D03

US 6323501 B1 (WHITE et al.) 27.11.2001

D04

US 2002195575 A1 (MARTIN) 12.22.2002

D05

EP 1394813 A2 (KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SHO, TASEI CORPORATION) 03.03.2004

2. Statement motivated according to articles 29.6 and 29.7 of the Regulations for the execution of Law 11/1986, of March 20, on Patents on novelty and inventive activity; quotes and explanations in support of this statement Document D 01 constitutes the technique of the technique closest to our request. In this document, we do not find a container to house and transport containers containing radioactive material, said container comprising a hollow structure with radiation shield closed by an upper lid, and housing inside a support element as a basket equipped with cavities where the containers are inserted. The only difference between document D01 and the claim 1 of the application under study would be the incorporation into our application of an inner closure cover, also with radiation-insulating shield, which would be adapted with holes to hold the containers. The problem to be solved with this difference would be to incorporate a second barrier in the upper part of the containers, which avoids the emission of radioactivity in the vertical direction of the container, and the solution to this problem would be disclosed in D02, which describes a packaging system of containers with radioactive material having two lids or covers, one outer and one inner, and both composed of radioactive shielding material. Since the problem of adapting the inner lid with holes for the container housing would already be solved with the support element described in D01, and since resorting to the teachings of document D02 to solve the technical problem posed by the double closing lid It would not involve inventive activity because both documents belong to the same technical field, we could conclude that the invention defined in the claim would lack inventive activity in accordance with the combination of documents D01 and D02. With respect to claims 2a to 4a, all of them depending on any one of the preceding claims, and which refer to both the inner closing lid and an inner support at the bottom of the container, and both having holes or cavities for receiving the containers containing the radioactive material, we would say that with the inner support described in document D01, the problem of avoiding lateral displacements of the containers would be solved, and that said solution would be an equivalent option to solve said problem, and therefore The inventive activity of these claims would also be questioned with the combination of documents D01 and D02. In the same way, the inventive activity of claims 6a and 9a regarding the assembly of the inner cover would be questioned. The fact that it is removable and that it relies on a series of projections, would not constitute a surprising technical effect, and the mode of realization of document D02, in which the inner cover would fit into a lower support structure with the help of a It stands out, and the fact that it is also easily disassembled, would make these claims lack any inventive activity. The content of claims 7a and 8a about the materials themselves in the shielding walls and the hexagonal shape for the distribution of the different containers containing the radioactive material, constitute elements that are well known in the state of the art or lacking technical effect. respectively, and therefore said characteristics do not satisfy the requirement of inventive activity. Lastly, the block of light material between the inner closing lid and the outer closing lid is also a characteristic described in document D01, whereby the inventive activity of claim 10a would be questioned by combining documents D01 and D02. On the other hand, document D03 would result in a document completely analogous to document D01, as regards the inner support body of the container for housing different containers, and in terms of the outer structure of the container with radioactive shield, and the other pair of documents D04 and D05 would reflect the prior art. By way of summary, we could conclude that in the solution proposed in claim 1 of the present application, as well as in the rest of claims 2 to 10 depending on the claim or the preceding claims, no inventive activity can be seen as considered obvious for a person skilled in the art, the execution of said container to house containers with radioactive material from documents D01 and D02, and therefore the patentability of the invention would be questioned in accordance with article 8 of patent law 11/86 . State of the Art Report Page 4/4